Joan Fredericksen

Joan Ranae (Kriz) Fredericksen age 81 years old passed away on Thursday, Sept 4, 2025.

Joan lived for 57 years in Wahpeton, ND with her husband Marlyn Fredericksen.

Joan grew up on a farm near Geddes, SD where her father Emil Kriz and mother Adella (Fredrich)Kriz raised milk cows and farmed. She and her brother Jean and 3 sisters, Connie, Laura and Patricia helped with the chores which included doing daily milking.

Joan Kriz met Marlyn Fredericksen at a dance in Rest Haven, SD and started a love story that would last for over 66 years. They were married on August 12, 1962, and spent 63 years happily married. That marriage took them to various places to live and work, including Delmont, SD; Chamberlain, SD; Pierre, SD and finally Wahpeton, ND.

Several careers, along with raising their two children, Nancy Fredericksen (Dan Simmons) and Chad Fredericksen (Janel Brudvik) kept her busy over the years. Besides being a devoted wife and mother, Joan worked as a teacher at a one room schoolhouse, took in sewing and alterations projects, and worked at R&S Fabric, Wahpeton’s local fabric store. Eventually Joan landed in a career that would bring her great joy and many, many friends. Managing the office of Farm Bureau/Nodak Mutual Insurance.

When Joan and Marlyn found themselves retired, they were able to dedicate time to mother’s first love – horses. They raised and sold registered quarter horses. Their horses were sold and taken to places as far away as Texas, Montana, Colorado and California. Through this “horsing around” the couple met many wonderful people that shared their passion for raising and breeding horses.

When not working, much of Joan’s free time was spent in the bleachers at various sporting events. First watching her boyfriend and eventual husband play football and basketball, then watching him coach those same sports. She also found great joy watching her son play sports and eventually coach football. She had the great joy and privilege to watch her grandchildren participate in sports which expanded her viewing to include girls’ volleyball and girls’ basketball in addition to football and boys’ basketball and occasionally some girls’ soccer and girls’ gymnastics. Through the many years of following sports, she gathered and maintained so many wonderful friendships.

Joan was a wonderful cook and master seamstress. She cooked and baked the most delicious meals and desserts. When it came to sewing, there was nothing she could not sew. Over the years she made many clothes for her children and even made full suits for husband Marlyn. She has sewn wedding gowns for lucky brides and in recent years found herself recreating full size wedding gowns into miniature doll sized replicas. In recent years she enjoyed gathering with friends to work on quilts to be donated to others.

Joan is survived by her husband Marlyn; children Nancy Fredericksen (Dan Simmons) Broomfield, CO and Chad Fredericksen(Janel Brudvik) Breckenridge, MN; her grandchildren, Katie Fredericksen, Carley Mauch (Cody Mauch), Carter Fredericksen, Amelia Simmons, and Riley Simmons, and great granddaughter Kendal Hein (daughter of Katie), her sisters Connie Smith, Laura Batchelor, and Patricia Baumberger and so many loved and cherished cousins and nieces and nephews and one aunt.

Visitation will be Friday, September 12, 2025, from 4 - 6 PM at Vertin Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton. Prayer service and a time of sharing will begin at 6 PM. Joan's Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at Evergreen Methodist Church at 10:30 AM. Visitation will continue on hour prior. Rev. Kori Lehrkamp will officiate the service.